“singular decisions in my life that have had long-lasting effects”

Over the past 18 years I have often thought about singular decisions in my life that have had long-lasting effects. One of those decisions came in my junior year at Lakeville High in 1992. I had been on the wrestling team for a few of years but took a class in critical thinking with Susan Clark, who also happened to be coaching the Debate team with Andy Charrier. I quickly knew that these were two fantastic teachers who made it easy for me to quit the wrestling team and dive into Debate. A year later, I was a state semi-finalist and went on to get 6th place in the 1993 National Forensic League Lincoln-Douglas Debate National Championship.

My high school debate experience has served me well throughout my collegiate and professional life. For example, when applying to graduate school in Applied Mathematics I received a prestigious and hard-to-get grant from the University of Colorado. I was told quite clearly by the department chair that the primary reason I received the grant was not my GRE scores in math, but my communication skills and experience in debate: the department had a mission to not only educate mathematicians and statisticians, but to also produce students who could effectively communicate their work.

Throughout my professional career, which has spanned the Dot Com bust in 2001 as well as the current recession, I have seen a clear pattern emerge: the people who are most likely to keep their jobs are the people who are in some sense generalists and exceptional communicators. Debate teaches these skills like no class or book can. You learn how to construct influential arguments that must be communicated under pressure; communicated in front of many people, most of whom you do not know; communicated succinctly; and communicated for and against a particular, difficult position.

Along these lines, I recently decided to make a career change and had not updated my resume in some time. Despite the common resume advice to not put anything high-school related on one’s resume, I knew better and included my now 18 year old debate experience. As I expected, it was a topic of conversation in an important interview.

As a statistician working for a multi-billion dollar company I know that making financial decisions under tight constraints is incredibly difficult and stressful. And I also know that numbers rarely convey the whole picture. The testimony you have received surely conveys that the Lakeville school system has in their ranks an incredibly gifted and motivated teacher who has had an enormous, positive influence on students’ lives for two decades. I sincerely hope that the Debate program and the school district can find a financial position that reduces costs without completely severing future students from a truly unique and amazing experience.

– Josh Hemann, Lakeville Senior High Class of 1993

“…if all of my students were former debaters.”

As an alumnus of Lakeville South High School’s debate program, I can speak for everyone when I say that debate is not just an activity, it is a way of life. I joined debate in the ninth grade as a shy student from what was then Kenwood Trail Junior High. I will admit that I did not join on my own terms. My parents were the driving force behind my decision to join, but it was simply that one small push that was needed to create a lifetime of benefits. Not only did my academic career take off as a result of this activity, so too did my ability to socialize with others. I can honestly say that some of my best friends to date were made as a result of joining this activity.

 

 

When I think about Lakeville Debate, nothing less than hard working comes to mind. I remember one year our team t-shirts read the phrase, “Sleep is for the Off Season,” a true testament to just how much time and dedication Lakeville debaters put into their work. The analytical and critical thinking skills that I have acquired over the years have prepared me for the “real world” in ways that could never be taught inside a traditional classroom. If it wasn’t for debate, I am confident in saying that I would not have been able to graduate from the University of Minnesota so fast, just 2 and one half years after I graduated from Lakeville South in 2008.

 

 

During my final semester at the U, one of my professor’s delivered to me a private email, asking me where I had learned to write after the first paper that I turned in for her. I wrote back to her explaining that I was well versed in techniques of debate. Then, at the end of the semester, we performed group presentations in that same class. I was assigned to deliver the concluding statements for our group. Rather than shaking in my skin from nerves like my fellow group members, I did just what my debate coach would have told me. I set my paper down, made confident eye contact, and told the audience a story that would persuade them to follow a particular course of action. Later that day, I received another private email from that very same professor with my final grade, and a telling admission from her that, “grading college level work would be much easier if all of my students were former debaters.”

I know that I am not the only former debater with stories like this. Lakeville debaters are the best and the brightest, with the best coaching staff around. It would be a great loss to the community to eliminate the programs altogether. I can only hope that Lakeville students in the future are given the great opportunities that I took advantage of in high school, and the opportunity to call debate a way of life.

– Mike Berger, Lakeville South Class of 2008

Yet More New Testimonals

I am writing as an alum of Lakeville High School (Class of 2002) to urge you to continue funding for debate in ISD 194.  More than any other activity I participated in during high school, debate provided me skills that have served me well in college, in the workplace, and now in law school.  Learning to speak comfortably in front of an audience, both in reading prepared text and making extemporaneous arguments, allowed me to excel at making presentations in college.  In fact, I always tried to select courses with presentation requirements because I felt that my debate background gave me an edge over other students.   For my first job following college, the interview required a twenty minute presentation, which was made much easier thanks to my debate experience.  Most recently, the facility with oral presentation I gained in debate has helped me with my first courtroom experiences.  In short, debate has made a large contribution to my educational and professional life.

I realize that in this time of limited funds difficult choices need to be made regarding which activities Lakeville can continue to offer.  I strongly urge you to continue funding for debate.

–  David Peloquin, Yale Law School J.D. Candidate 2011

“I can honestly say that nothing in my life better prepared me for college than debate.  Being on the debate team was challenging, and it made me work harder than any class ever had.  The hours spent in research and case preparation taught me to be thorough, organized, and to think on my feet.  Debate encouraged me to examine all sides of an issue, and I learned to be a much better communicator under the guidance of Andy Charrier and Susan Clark.  I can’t imagine a high school experience without debate – and I can’t stress enough how beneficial the skills I learned in debate have been throughout my college years and in my career.”

– Andrea Allman, Lakeville High School class of 1995

“the most formative experience of my high school career”

Abbie Gudmundson debated for Lakeville for four years, qualifying for nationals her senior season. She is pictured above relaxing a bit with Mike Berger after an intensive week of prep and competition at the Wichita nationals in 2007.  Here is her testimonial about debate:

“As a 2007 graduate of Lakeville South High School I was blessed with a superior teaching and administrative staff, top quality facilities, and a well rounded offering of extracurricular activities. Four years later, I am disappointed to hear that future Lakeville graduates will not have the same opportunities I did.

Debate was, without doubt, the most formative experience of my high school career. The activity taught me the skills that my high school textbooks could not–among them, the ability to develop logically sound, persuasive arguments; to quickly and critically analyze complex ideas; and to speak with poise and brevity.

Debate prepared me for college better than any class because I learned skills and not facts. Throughout my four years at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, I have drawn upon the tools I learned in Debate to understand complex business topics. In fact, I attribute my ability to articulately present my own business ideas to groups of 60 peers or more primarily to my experiences in Debate. Today, working as a sales consultant for a Fortune 500 company, I regularly employ the critical analysis and persuasion techniques I learned in Debate.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the relationships and sense of community that Debate gave me throughout high school. The students that graduate from the Lakeville Debate program are some of the hardest working and highest achieving kids in Lakeville, and I hope they are given the same wonderful opportunities that I had when I was a student. Indeed, I do not think it would be over-dramatic to end by saying that Debate has truly shaped the person I am today.”

 

Two More Students Speak Up

As a Junior at Lakeville South, I have been involved in many great organizations.  I am a strong student taking a rigorous course load of AP classes, as well as being involved in several after school clubs and teams.  Besides the National Honor Society, Chemistry Club, and Speech Team, I am also on the Lakeville South Debate Team.  Debate has been an incredible experience for me.  I have learned the ability to think critically and to analyze a situation and subject.  During debate season, I spend approximately 10-12 hours per week on this event.  I willingly and enthusiastically spend every Saturday in a suit and tie debating subjects with like minded peers in and around my community.  The experience has been invaluable.  The increased level of confidence and ability in public speaking is immeasurable.

This fall, I attended the college fair weekend in Minneapolis.  Each college I spoke to valued that I was a debater.  Right away, they assumed that I was a hard worker and academically minded.  Debate has raised my personal expectation level like no other group has done.  It’s made me aware of my talents and areas where work is needed.  It’s allowed me to excel in a specialized area that will help me in my college experience.  We have a top-notch debate program in Lakeville with talented students and outstanding coaches.  Please do not cut this program.  It fills a space that no other club or team can duplicate

– Hayden Rutan, Lakeville South, Class of 2012

I’ve been in debate for two years, and these two years have been an unforgettable experience. Debate is an incredibly and uniquely educational activity and if it is cut it would be a great loss for our school system. Debate engages its participants’ mind on a level that no AP class (or combination of several AP classes) could; nowhere else is someone pressured to defend the nuances of a position or delve into complex problems of morality and political ideology. In my debate career I have debated about standardized tests, compulsory immunizations, nuclear weapons, illegal drugs, and juveniles offenders. Along the way, besides learning a great deal about the topic, I have learned how to analyze on a deeper level in order to challenge my opponents’ arguments, think quickly and on my feet, speak persuasively, and conduct vigorous academic research to a far higher standard than anything I’ve done for a school paper. Moreover, it has been very enjoyable and I hope that future Lakeville students will not be denied this great opportunity.

–Josh You, Lakeville North High School, Class of 2013

“Become Articulate Thinkers”

I’m sure that a lot of people see Debate just as an extracurricular activity–something that a high school student would join as an enjoyable pastime or to look good on a college application.  At some high schools this may be true, but at Lakeville, debate has always been so much more than that, thanks to passionate coaches who inspire their students to achieve.  I admit, when I joined the team, I had no idea what I was getting into, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions I made as a teenager!  The skills I learned in debate helped me in college and beyond.  Our coaches, Andy and Ms. Clark, (and later Ruth) had high expectations of the entire team (including novices!) and the work we were required to complete exceeded even what was required in my most difficult classes.  It wasn’t enough to memorize and regurgitate information and facts, it was essential that we understand the fundamentals….not only of the resolutions that we were debating, but of debate itself.  More important than honing an ability to speak comfortably in public, debate requires participants to think analytically on their feet about moral and ethical issues while using ideas and quotes from philosophers and experts to help make their case.  As far as extracurricular activities go, it’s not physical like football, it doesn’t solely require the ability to speak in public like drama, nor is it strictly academic like quiz bowl.  Debate is unique in the sense that in no other activity can students have the opportunity to become articulate thinkers-the type of students that Lakeville debate has been turning out for years.   It would be a huge disservice to current and future students to deprive them of this distinctive opportunity.
– Kearney (Field) Burns,  Lakeville High School, Class of 1998

 

Lakeville High to Harvard Medical School

It is hard to believe that over 17 years have passed since my last high school debate round.  Since then I have relied on the skills debate gave me throughout college at the University of Minnesota, graduate school at Harvard University, and my career as a biomedical scientist.  Although I was fortunate in having challenging courses and incredible teachers at Lakeville, competing in debate gave me experiences that could not be provided in the classroom.  Debate transformed me into a fluent and effective communicator, with the ability to not only deliver a prepared talk but also think on my feet and respond quickly to the arguments of others.   This has been valuable when presenting at scientific meetings or teaching courses, and definitely came in handy during my Ph.D. thesis defense.   The competitive atmosphere of debate also taught me the necessity of hard work and thorough preparation, and instilled in me intellectual confidence that I could develop and rigorously defend my ideas.  This has been critical not only in my academic career but in other areas of my life as well.  I participated in a number of other activities at Lakeville, and though fun and worthwhile none of them were able to teach this unique combination of skills.  Debate was the defining experience of my high school career, and I am sure that without the confidence and skills it gave me I would not be where I am today.  While I recognize that this a time of tough fiscal choices, I believe it is critical that Lakeville students continue to have the same opportunity to benefit from debate that I had.

– Nathan Moerke, Class of 1993, Research Scientist, Harvard Medical School

Debate for Success

When I entered my first debate practice the summer before eighth grade, I was a shy, terrified middle-schooler with the goal of simply learning how to speak in front of multiple people. What I actually gained from debate in those first practices alone was a sense of my actual potential to achieve, both in the activity and beyond. In no other forum or setting would I have been as challenged to step beyond my comfort zone and forced to articulate ideas and arguments in front of critical opponents, coaches, and judges. Debate coaxed me out of my shell, exposing me to a variety of philosophies and policy issues, while also introducing me to a community of driven high school debaters and coaches. Debate granted me an edge in school, as I had been used to sifting through dense philosophical readings and writing cases to state my arguments while integrating outside evidence. Through debate, I was forced to not only comprehend the materials I read, but also to challenge them, as nothing was ever taken for granted or accepted as an absolute truth. In this way, the constant reevaluation of arguments after each tournament, each round, and each speech meant that I was always learning about a topic and approaching an issue from different perspectives. Having just finished my first semester at Harvard, I know that debate has provided me with crucial written and oral communication skills that have helped me to succeed at presentations and papers while also encouraging me to engage with my peers. I trust that many share my sentiments when I credit debate as a key catalyst to success. I hope that we can continue to offer this activity that provides a push for students to realize their full potential.
– Karen Zhou, Lakeville North High School, Class of 2010

I cannot even begin to explain or describe what debate has done for me, others, and how it will affect us in years to come. Personally, I joined debate not knowing what to expect, worked extremely hard, and loved every minute of it. I speak for the whole team when I say that succeeding and having the reassurance that your new found skill will take you far in life, is extremely gratifying. Another thing to consider when one is making cuts from the school system, is what school is for in the first place; education and academics. Debate is an activity which improves your writing, speaking, and thinking skills greatly. Not even the most difficult AP classes in high school can measure up to how much higher-level thinking is involved in debate. When a student participates in debate, they are not only creating a distinguishing factor on their applications and resumes, but they are also learning skills that will help them extremely every step of the way throughout high school, college, and beyond. While sports and other clubs are appreciated, many are available several other places than school, such as playing club sports. Debate can only be participated in through the school, as school is principally meant for education and academics. On behalf of Lakeville’s debate teams, we are strongly against debate being cut from this year’s extracurricular activities. Debate is needed to generate and hone writing, speaking, and higher-level thinking skills, keep helping students throughout their schooling and beyond, and keeping the same foundation and principles we want for our district; to strive for excellence by improving our student’s minds and intelligence.
– Kaylee Kitzman, Lakeville South High School, Class of 2014

The one season of debate I participated in was easily the most important aspect of my education in the Lakeville Public School system. I’ve been in Lakeville schools for my entire K-12 education, and I can easily point to my one year of debate as the cause for my academic success. The analytical and writing skills I gained even at a low level of debate have given me unmeasurable amounts of success, helping me through many Advanced Placement courses and preparing me extremely well for the demands of post-secondary education. The competitive nature of debate forced me to create logical framework that would hold up under the most intense scrutiny, and to be able to apply it to to the moment incredibly quickly. This was a completely unique experience in high school, as most classes did not require the amount of analysis that even one debate round would feature. This activity has given me a solid base of argumentation and logic skills, which is essential to post-secondary education. Furthermore, debate helped me realize my interests in social studies, which I will almost certainly be pursuing as a career. Helping me obtain a larger world view, appreciation for social issues I otherwise might not encounter, and methods to explore the problems of today in an academic sense, debate has given me the tools to academic and career success more so than any other part of my education in the Lakeville Public School system.
– Cody Kaluza, Lakeville North High School, Class of 2010

“I Got The Job”

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Last year I had an interview with the CEO of a company I wanted to join.  The CEO quickly scanned my resume and said “Debate champion… that’s great!”  He didn’t say a word about my degrees from Purdue and MIT, or my experience in aerospace and high-tech startups.  Indeed, the CEO went on to say how finding applicants with the right technical skills was relatively easy, while it was nearly impossible to find those skills combined with the ability to communicate with confidence and clarity.

That fact might reflect a lack of educational emphasis or opportunity.  Debate teaches skills that are not measured by standardized tests, thus it may be viewed as an inessential luxury.  The irony is that debate was the most formative and valuable part of my high school education.  I think my former teammates would say the same.   In the years since I graduated from Lakeville High I’ve come to appreciate how fortunate I was to have had the program and its stellar coaches.  I hope that the next generation of Lakeville students will continue to have the opportunities that I had.

By the way, I got the job.
– Justin Hemann,, Lakeville High Class of 1994, State Debate Champion, 1994

One resolution that is not up for debate: Lakeville Debate is invaluable and among the most positively influential activities available to students.  I can confidently say that if not for debate, my professional life would be quite different, and not for the better.  The intellectual preparation, discussion, and execution I experienced in debate was unlike any class I’d had before or since and directly fostered the drive I carry to this day to learn before  I speak.   Unfortunately, skills based activities are grossly undervalued in a student’s learning experience. While debate certainly requires an understanding of certain academic principles, its real value, for me, has been the development and retention of practical tools that a debater can not help but acquire.  Do I recall names and dates I poured over in history for regurgitation on a test?  Hardly a bit.  But do I know the value of brevity, critical thinking, close listening and stimulating discussion?  Absolutely, and I use each of these every day in my professional and personal capacities.
Upon moving to Wisconsin, I was quite disappointed to find that while there are a few excellent debaters, the quality of education does not compare to what every Lakeville debater received when I was a student.  Lakeville has a special program that has opened doors for me that would not have otherwise been available, and I sincerely hope Lakeville reconsiders its position on denying these same opportunities to current and future students.
– Ben Qualley, Lakeville High School, Class of 1998

Derek and Peter

Derek Green and Peter Zhou were the first Lakeville debaters to travel outside Minnesota during the regular season.  In the picture above, they are about to compete at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

“- Debate teaches a fundamental communication skill. Without debate, I would have never been able to stand up in front of any group to present my ideas. I was scared to death by public speaking before I joined debate, and debate more than any other activity gave me the tools to confidently express my ideas.

- Debate encourages critical thought, which is extremely valuable throughout a person’s life. At Harvard, it became very clear early on that the smartest liberal arts concentrators were all ex-debaters. We knew how to critically analyze topics and how to challenge blank assertions. After college, debate remained the most important skill I’ve acquired in my entire educational career. While working in private equity investments, I had to analyze and present investment ideas to our investment committee. People who had debate experience excelled, as dealing with the committee was just like debating a tough opponent. In the finance industry, multi-billion dollar investment decisions are often made based on a similar series of argumentation and rebuttals, and a person without debate education early on will not be as well prepared for such work environments.

- Debate differentiates the US educational system. While working in Hong Kong, I met many finance professionals from China who went through a different educational system that did not encourage argumentation and debate. These individuals rarely challenged assumptions and were often tricked into making poor investment decisions. I had to train my Chinese co-workers on basic debate just to make them functional on the job. Debate is one of the key differences between a US and Chinese education.

- Debate is an enjoyable activity. Students are able to interact with a nationwide network of like-minded students. Some of my best friend to this day I met through debate. Moreover, even after Harvard, working in finance around the world, and now investing for a multi-billion dollar fund, the smartest people I’ve ever met I met while in high school debate.”
– Peter Zhou, Lakeville High School class of 2004

“My name is Derek Green, LHS, Class of 2004. My career in debate spanned all three years of my time there. I should actually call that my “amateur” career; now, as a graduate fellow in the Department of Philosophy at Northwestern University, I am a professional.

In this case, the clichéd sentiment rings true: I strongly suspect that I would not be where I am today if it were not for this activity. The high school curriculum, even at the Advanced Placement levels, hardly touches on the methods of sound, lucid reasoning. I can recall about five sentences of actual philosophical content that I encountered in the classroom; that is, besides the countless pages and hundreds of hours of dialogue that were a direct result of my participation in debate. Debate’s competitive environment gave me the incentive to practice and to study complex theoretical material until I became interested in these activities for their own sake. (It might bear mention that I had little of this interest before I joined the activity. My grade point average increased with my competitive success. This is not accidental.) I essentially did the very same thing as an undergraduate that I did as a debater, albeit in the seminar rooms and libraries of an elite university (which would not have admitted me without all that aforementioned instruction and refinement). That “very same thing” led me to graduate summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, a published author, and, as I sit here and write this, right where I want to be.

I won’t take much more of your time, so I won’t even begin to broach the wonderful social and personal opportunities afforded me by being a Lakeville debater. I’ll also leave others to inform you about how debate enriched their lives and augmented their capacities (though many have told me as much themselves). So, I’ll just conclude by saying this: debate gave my calling and the means to pursue it.”– Derek Green, Lakeville High School class of 2004